Mitch Barnhart

[bthaunert]

I don't think Mitch is screwing basketball at all. How do you think he's screwing basketball? They have the largest NIL budget and they are rumored to be putting more revenue sharing money into basketball than any other SEC program. He signed a bad contract with Cal, so Cal was here maybe a year longer than he would have been otherwise. But basketball really has everything they need to be the top program.

[KentuckyWild2020]

I wouldn't care as much about missing out on one and done 17/18 year olds.....IF HE WAS GETTING THE BEST IN THE TRANSFER PORTAL! BUT HE'S NOT!

Yaxel Lendeborg should be a Kentucky Wildcat....not a Michigan Wolverine. I mean, we've got guys like Lamar Wilkerson playing for freaking Indiana! I'm glad we got Lowe, but I was worried about point guard when he was missing on guys like Silas Demary!



I think Lowe will be the key to this season...more so than Quaintence. I've been pleasantly surprised with Moreno, and if Garrison could find whatever gear he needs to step up his game, the talent and ability is there. I do think Jayden is valuable, don't get me wrong... especially on the defensive end...but it's going to feel a lot like last year with Butler and Krissa out. What looked like a strength going into last year turned out to be bitterly frustrating and disappointing when Colin Chandler and Travis Perry were running the point

Agreed in regards to Yaxel, game changer for sure.

I guess what frustrates me the most is this year I have watched more early season college basketball and other teams than I have in the past, we just don't look . In my opinion we look like a timid team over thinking instead of just playing loose and enjoying the game of basketball.

Maybe it's the pressure of playing at Kentucky, I don't know??

We are a few losses away for me going back to the CAL state of mind, just make the tournament lol lol...

[KentuckyWild2020]

I don't think Mitch is screwing basketball at all. How do you think he's screwing basketball? They have the largest NIL budget and they are rumored to be putting more revenue sharing money into basketball than any other SEC program. He signed a bad contract with Cal, so Cal was here maybe a year longer than he would have been otherwise. But basketball really has everything they need to be the top program.

I can agree with this but the ELEPHANT in the room is " can Pope land the big fish?"

At some point you still have to have ELITE game changing talent to get over the hump.

Going back to Pitino days, good teams always in the hunt but never was able to get over the hump until he brought in the A. Walker Mercers and Anderson's of the world.

I will say the 98 team was a product of a "well oiled machine". Talented college players (not world wide talent) that played up to it's full potential and was able to get hot at the right time.

It's all good, still early and Pope isn't going to change the world in a little over a year in a half in, just hope that we can get some elite talent along with everything else.

[bthaunert]

I can agree with this but the ELEPHANT in the room is " can Pope land the big fish?"

At some point you still have to have ELITE game changing talent to get over the hump.

Going back to Pitino days, good teams always in the hunt but never was able to get over the hump until he brought in the A. Walker Mercers and Anderson's of the world.

I will say the 98 team was a product of a "well oiled machine". Talented college players (not world wide talent) that played up to it's full potential and was able to get hot at the right time.

It's all good, still early and Pope isn't going to change the world in a little over a year in a half in, just hope that we can get some elite talent along with everything else.

Totally agree...but that's a Mark Pope thing, not a lack of resources from Mitch.

[KentuckyWild2020]

Totally agree...but that's a Mark Pope thing, not a lack of resources from Mitch.

This is true..

[blueheretic]

I don't think Mitch is screwing basketball at all. How do you think he's screwing basketball? They have the largest NIL budget and they are rumored to be putting more revenue sharing money into basketball than any other SEC program. He signed a bad contract with Cal, so Cal was here maybe a year longer than he would have been otherwise. But basketball really has everything they need to be the top program.

It seems that his desperation in football bled over into basketball.

I could be wrong.

Heck, for all I know, it may have been the other way around.

[SportsFan]

I guess what frustrates me the most is this year I have watched more early season college basketball and other teams than I have in the past, we just don't look . In my opinion we look like a timid team over thinking instead of just playing loose and enjoying the game of basketball.

Maybe it's the pressure of playing at Kentucky, I don't know??

Warning: Unpopular opinion forthcoming

I know this isn't going to be a popular opinion these days... and if I'm totally honest, I get it. Whole heatedly. I've been there myself numerous times with my favorite teams.

But the truth (as I believe it to be) is that Mark Pope IS "a nice guy". I think he has a desire to run a clean program and have high character guys. Ideally, this is what pretty much all of us want. We get tired of the thuggish attitude and behavior in sports and the bad apples ruining the bunch.

The problem is....I believe there is an awful lot of truth to the old saying "nice guys finish last". From dating to climbing the corporate ladder to sports to life in general, you name it. And Pope seems to desire high character/high IQ kind of guys who won't embarrass the program and can speak well in interviews and pre/post-game press conferences, etc. I'll be honest...this is what I'd like to see as well. BUT...I do have to question if you can win, and win big with a program full of "nice guys". And before anyone points to UCONN and says "they have clean cut, well spoken players who seem to be pretty upstanding people"..... remember.... they have a huge asshole for a head coach!

So while I'm hopeful in this day and age that you can win and win big with a program full of nice guys....I do have my reservations.

[KentuckyWild2020]

Warning: Unpopular opinion forthcoming

I know this isn't going to be a popular opinion these days... and if I'm totally honest, I get it. Whole heatedly. I've been there myself numerous times with my favorite teams.

But the truth (as I believe it to be) is that Mark Pope IS "a nice guy". I think he has a desire to run a clean program and have high character guys. Ideally, this is what pretty much all of us want. We get tired of the thuggish attitude and behavior in sports and the bad apples ruining the bunch.

The problem is....I believe there is an awful lot of truth to the old saying "nice guys finish last". From dating to climbing the corporate ladder to sports to life in general, you name it. And Pope seems to desire high character/high IQ kind of guys who won't embarrass the program and can speak well in interviews and pre/post-game press conferences, etc. I'll be honest...this is what I'd like to see as well. BUT...I do have to question if you can win, and win big with a program full of "nice guys". And before anyone points to UCONN and says "they have clean cut, well spoken players who seem to be pretty upstanding people"..... remember.... they have a huge asshole for a head coach!

So while I'm hopeful in this day and age that you can win and win big with a program full of nice guys....I do have my reservations.

Not unpopular at all,if you ain't first your last lol lol..

There is alot of truth in being too nice on and off the court, people take advantage and use kindness as a weakness.

Look at the country we live ,it wasnt founded and built to be great because we held hands and all got along in the settling and Wild wild west days. As a ex military vet,I have always said we are the biggest gangster in the world. We really want something, we take it,we spin it m, we call it freedom and all sorts of things but the tris we just wanted and saw a potential for whatever reason that may be lol lol.

Back to Pope, I sincerely hope he isn't getting punked by young men with money in their pocket or trying to be a good trustworthy friend.?

I am sure many saw the halftime clip last year of Pitino going wild on his St. John's team,that took guts in today's era.

Im not ready to bail on Pope and I do think he learn as he goes. In all reality, I think he needs to semi fail in order to succeed long term. Obviously he's passionate, reports say he has torn up some locker rooms in the past. Personally i think he needs to hire himself a OG on the sideline to be the bad guy and do the dirty work. Calipari Memphis teams,Thompson Hoya teams, old Arkansas teams, Detroit bad boys. Larry Bird, Jordan, Kobe, all had something in common, all could play good bad or ugly but at the end of the day, the mission was to take your head off lol lol..


As for recruits, he has to win and prove himself before he starts landing a big fish every now and then.

Scoot Henderson bails on Duke and follows Lucas. Then the potential overall number 1 NBA draft pick phenom ends up at Duke and im not talking about Boozer, im talking about Dame Sarr. I do hope Pope gets to that level that he can pick who he wants year to year in the off season. That comes with winning in my opinion..

[KentuckyWild2020]

Interesting...

Mitch Barnhart’s 23-year Kentucky resume (revenue sports only):

• 0 College Football Playoff appearances

• 9-14 football last 23 games

• 1 basketball title in the last 13 years

• 4 straight years no Sweet 16

• NCAA probation + vacated wins

• Title IX lawsuit naming Barnhart

• $141 million debt

• $38 million Stoops buyout

• $800k–$1M lifetime “consulting” deal already locked in

#FireMitch

2/9

But it gets worse.

Here are the FOUR smoking-gun contract clauses nobody was supposed to notice — all public record, all undeniable.

3/9

THREAD 1 – PERSONAL KICKBACKS

2023 UKAA Financial Disclosure, Footnote 12:

“success fee-sharing arrangement … payable directly to select athletic department personnel”

Barnhart, Baker, Hill get six-figure checks from JMI every time they extend the contract.

4/9

THREAD 2 – $2 MILLION SECRET SLUSH FUND

2025 JMI Contract, Page 17:

“$2,000,000 annually for ‘executive retention’ paid to designated personnel”

Barnhart’s private piggy bank. Zero oversight.

5/9

THREAD 3 – SHADOW BOARD CONTROLLING $20.5 MILLION

Champions Blue LLC Bylaws, Article IV §2:

“The Athletic Director shall serve as permanent Chair with final approval over all athlete revenue-sharing money”

He built a private company to hide the cash from the public.

6/9

THREAD 4 – GOLDEN HANDCUFFS

2025 JMI Contract, Page 42:

If UK ever fires Barnhart and tries to end the JMI deal early, Kentucky taxpayers must repay JMI every dollar of personal bonuses already paid to Barnhart & staff.

The worse he does, the more it costs to fire him.

7/9

Let that sink in.

Every single “we can’t afford change” excuse you’ve heard for years is because Barnhart wrote himself a clause that makes firing him cost millions extra — in personal kickback repayments to JMI.

8/9

Open Records requests are already flooding in for every dollar, every 1099, every clawback calculation.

The documents are coming.

The excuses are over.

9/9

Big Blue Nation has paid enough for failure, nepotism, and insider deals.